Executive Summary (Excerpt)

The “Effective Practices for Closing the Gender Digital Divide” report is a resource for funders, organizations, and practitioners working on strategies and programs to bridge the gender and technology gap for women, girls, and marginalized populations. This guide presents a set of case studies showcasing programs that have effectively addressed the gender digital divide using thoughtful, women-centered development interventions. Cases include examples from both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, represent multiple geographies, and are scalable and replicable for other cultural contexts. By uplifting projects that have proved successful around the world, and that center around these four focus areas – access and affordability, products and tools, literacy and skills, and safety and security – this report aims to be a resource for organizations and entities responsible for design and implementation of truly equitable digital development programs.

The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is a five-year, $60.5 million initiative launched by USAID and the Gates Foundation, to address the gender digital divide in regions where the gap is greatest. Established in March 2023, WiDEF aims to serve as a leading voice on evidence and effective approaches for advancing gender digital equality. This report is one of several WiDEF resources intended to assist donors and implementing organizations considering digital technology in the service of gender-transformative development. This work is sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency.